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Snowstorm delays flights, forces highway closures

DENVER — A powerful snowstorm moving through Colorado is delaying flights at Denver International Airport and has forced transportation officials to close several highways, including Interstate 70 from Denver to Kansas.

The National Weather Service says up to 7 inches of snow could fall in the Denver area Saturday, and higher accumulations are expected on the eastern plains.

The Colorado Department of Transportation is using 73 snowplows in Denver and about 250 more along the rest of the Front Range. Another 30 plows are clearing Interstate 70 from Denver to Vail.

DIA spokesman Heath Montgomery says some arriving flights have been delayed by more than two hours, but only about two dozen flights have been canceled.

Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center says up to a foot of new snow in the mountains could create dangerous avalanche conditions.